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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24147091">Erlkönig</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/engagemythrusters/pseuds/engagemythrusters'>engagemythrusters</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Torchwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dark, M/M, Mystery, Supernatural Elements</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:55:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24147091</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/engagemythrusters/pseuds/engagemythrusters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Something lurked in the darkness. It waited and watched, and it was coming for Ianto.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Erlkönig</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Ianto?" Jack called from somewhere.</p><p>Ianto glanced up from the coffee machine. He had been trying to clean the grime off of the back. One of Owen's experiments had broken free of its container and travelled across the walls without anyone knowing until it was much too late. It had coated a fair chunk of the small coffee station Ianto inhabited, and now Ianto had to scour and then sanitise the place. </p><p>"Here, Jack," Ianto replied.</p><p>Jack spotted Ianto as Ianto spotted Jack, just beyond the base of the water tower, behind Owen and Gwen's desk. Jack smiled, bounding down the stairs past the Rift manipulator at once. </p><p>"Ready?" he asked when he stopped in front of Ianto. </p><p>Ianto shrugged, setting aside his rag and paint scraper. "I suppose. Though I haven't got anything to change into."</p><p>"You look fine as is," Jack said. "I doubt anyone at the restaurant will think any less of you for wearing a blue shirt and red tie instead of a white shirt and red tie."</p><p>Ianto shot him a glare.</p><p>"You look fine," Jack repeated, in complete sincerity this time. "More than fine. Can we go?"</p><p>"Fine," Ianto sighed. "I suppose this... growth, or whatever, shouldn't spread more by tomorrow."</p><p>"I thought you said it stopped growing yesterday," Jack said, peering over Ianto's shoulder. </p><p>"It did, but every time I peel off a strip, I swear it comes right back."</p><p>"I'm sure it'll go away," Jack said reassuringly. </p><p>With another sigh, Ianto gave the coffee station one final, sweeping glance, just to make sure everything was otherwise in order.</p><p>"Right," he said, "let's go.</p><p>The night was a colder one, dark, stormy, and grim. Wind howled across the Quay and rain spat down in sheets. Ianto slipped into the SUV with only a single spare thought about it. Hopefully Toshiko had left the umbrella in the back, otherwise Ianto's hair was going to get rather damp.</p><p>It was nice of Jack to take him out like this. Ianto knew Jack didn't have to, and he also knew that the pair of them were somewhat fond of their "Weevil hunts," but it was... well, like he said. <em>Nice</em>. Ianto didn't know which restaurant they would visit this time, though he did have a small wish that it would be that French place. He had liked their filet mignon. </p><p>They drove in comfortable silence. Ianto drummed his fingers on his knee, staring through the window. The vehicle circulated warm air, a pleasant feeling to pair with watching the rain pour outside. </p><p>Something moved in his periphery, different than something outside a speeding vehicle should move. With a frown, he studied the mirror on the passengers side, but nothing was there. He shook his head, looking back at the passing scenery.</p><p>Jack had turned some of his old music on. Ianto vaguely recognised the tune of one of them, and Ianto found the tapping of his fingers shifting to the rhythm. </p><p>Something moved again, and Ianto glanced at the mirror again. He jolted back in his seat. </p><p>"Ianto? What's wrong?"</p><p>Ianto blinked, and the mirror was clear again.</p><p>"Nothing," he said, though he felt unsure. "I just thought..."</p><p>But the pair of eyes he'd sworn he had seen had long since gone. </p><p>"You sure?" Jack asked.</p><p>"Yeah..."</p><p>Jack frowned at him, but he nodded and returned his attention to driving. Ianto took in a deep breath, releasing it out slowly and silently, turning back to the window.</p><p>He lost himself to time, warmth, and the music again. Zoned out and drifting, he mused on soups. Cold and stormy nights deserved soups, right? Maybe he'd get one this time, if they did go to the—</p><p>"Jesus," he hissed, sitting up in his seat.</p><p>They looked like lights, or something, indistinguishable in colour and size, but they were definitely eyes. Ianto <em>knew</em> they were eyes. And they were watching him. </p><p>"Stop the car," Ianto ordered.</p><p>"Ianto?"</p><p>"Stop the car! Pull over!"</p><p>And Jack did so instantly. The car jerked to a halt, but Ianto was frozen in his seat, transfixed by the otherworldly gaze of the bodiless eyes. It was like they were eating into his soul.</p><p>"What is it?" Jack asked, and Ianto shook himself free enough from the gaze to pop open his door. "Hey! What are you doing?"</p><p>Ianto stepped out into the rain, facing the direction where the eyes had stared at him from. </p><p>There was nothing there.</p><p>"Ianto!" Jack yelled from the car, barely audible over the pouring rain. </p><p>Ianto took one last good look of the area, but there was nothing to see beyond the blanket of rain except the darkness of night. </p><p>"What the hell was that?" Jack snapped when Ianto closed his door shut.</p><p>"There was something out there," Ianto told him.</p><p>Jack sat up straight, frowning. "Something?"</p><p>"It stared at me through the mirror," Ianto said. "I saw its eyes, but nothing else."</p><p>Jack studied him momentarily.</p><p>"It was probably a trick of the light," he said. "Lights from another car, bounced around in the rain, or something."</p><p>Ianto opened his mouth to argue, but found he didn't have much plausible evidence against what Jack said.</p><p>"Yeah, you're probably right," he muttered, though deep down, he knew there hadn't been any other cars.</p>
<hr/><p>"The soup was a good idea," Jack conceded as he turned a corner.</p><p>"I know it was," Ianto said, somewhat smugly. </p><p>The rain had lessened, but it still pattered down on the roof of the SUV as Jack drove Ianto home. </p><p>They'd had a good date. The food was good, the company was even better, and the prospect of what was to come when they arrived at Ianto's flat was by far the best.</p><p>"But admit it," Jack said. "You still wanted the filet mignon."</p><p>"Doesn't mean I also didn't want the soup."</p><p>"Ah <em>ha</em>," Jack said, snapping a finger at Ianto. "I knew it."</p><p>Ianto rolled his eyes.</p><p>Jack pulled up to Ianto's flat. They sat in the vehicle for a moment. Then Jack yanked the keys out of the car decisively, and Ianto prepared to step out into the wet. </p><p>They made a mad dash for the door, as neither were particularly fond of colder rains. Ianto made the mistake of not having his own flat keys ready before, and so he fumbled around his pocket for them as they stood on the doorstep. </p><p>Ianto's fingers had just brushed the keys when the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. While the rains might've had a similar effect on him, Ianto had worked for Torchwood too long to be fooled by natural goosebumps on occasions like these. </p><p>Something was watching him.</p><p>Again.</p><p>He whipped around, looking for whoever it was (or <em>whatever</em> it was). </p><p>The two bright, transcendental orbs stared at him through the dark and the wet. Ianto could do nothing but stare back.</p><p>"Hey, I'm getting wet, here," Jack said.</p><p>And, just like earlier, his voice was enough to break the spell, and Ianto turned back to him. Jack raised his eyebrows impatiently. Ianto looked back at the eyes, prepared to point them out, but, as they had before, the eyes had gone again. </p><p>Ianto frowned, digging his keys out as he tried to hide his frustration and confusion. </p><p>Jack peeled his coat off the moment they were inside, draping it over Ianto's coat rack. Ianto slowly pulled his off, deep in thought. </p><p>"Well, it's either I get out the wine and we drink it naked while our clothes dry, or we just take a nice warm shower."</p><p>Ianto took his shoes off, not listening to a word Jack had said.</p><p>"Ianto?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Wine or shower?" Jack asked. </p><p>"Oh," Ianto said. "Um. Shower, I suppose."</p><p>Jack grinned. "Perfect."</p><p>He kissed the side of Ianto's lips, a chaste precursor to whatever antics he had planned. Then he disappeared, off to tear off his wet clothes. </p><p>Ianto considered following, but something pulled him in the other direction, instead. At first, he thought he was going after the wine, but he wound up standing by his window, staring out into the night. </p><p>He didn't know how to search for something that evidently presented itself at the most inopportune times, but he waited and watched, peering through the glass pane and driving rain. The eyes weren't there.</p><p>Then, suddenly, they were. And they stared at him.</p><p>Ianto took a step back, startled, but he stared straight back, not willing to lose the thing just yet. What was it, that lay out there, observing him? Alien or creature? Friend or foe?</p><p>"Ianto!"</p><p>Ianto jumped as Jack appeared at his shoulder. </p><p>"I've been calling for you," Jack grumped. "What's with you tonight?"</p><p>Ianto prepared to respond, but then chanced a glance back out the window, and as the past few encounters had ended, all he could see was the dark night's rain. He closed his mouth and shook his head.</p><p>"Shower," Jack said. "You coming?"</p><p>Ianto nodded.</p><p>"Then come on," Jack said. </p><p>He turned and left. Ianto watched him go, then gazed once more out the window. Nothing stirred. </p><p>With a sigh, Ianto followed Jack to the bathroom.</p>
<hr/><p>Ianto scraped away at the gook. That was all he could think to call the remnants of Owen's experiment anymore. <em>Gook</em>. Jack had come up with it. Of course Jack had. Jack had words for everything. Some of them were just made up nonsense of Jack's own, but few were alien words of another world. Ianto guessed this particular word fell into the former category, but there was never anyway to be certain. </p><p>For a moment, he stopped scraping. He felt weird, like something was prickling the back of his neck. Something was watching him. </p><p>He turned around, expecting to see the eyes again, but nothing was there. He took a deep breath, surveying the entirety of the visible Hub to be sure before returning to his work.</p><p>Since last night, he'd forgotten about the thing watching him in the darkness. Jack had certainly presented a compelling distraction. </p><p>"Keep it together, Jones," he muttered to himself. "You were overly tired. That's all."</p><p>And he started working off the gook again, labouring methodically away. Scrape the gook off, scrub the remnants away, sanitise. Repeat.  </p><p>He'd only managed to get another small strip off and cleaned when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. He whirled around, brandishing his paint scraper. </p><p>"Whoa," Gwen said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm not the mould you're looking for."</p><p>Ianto rolled his eyes, dropping the hand holding the scraper to his side. </p><p>"How's it coming?" she asked, peeping curiously past him.</p><p>"Not well," Ianto sighed. "One of these days, I'm going to flood the autopsy room with coffee and make Owen clean that up. See how he likes it."</p><p>"You could just make him do the cleaning," she pointed out.</p><p>He shook his head. "I'd rather he not destroy my coffee machine."</p><p>"Well, in that case..." She beamed at him, laughing slightly. </p><p>"Is there something you need?" he asked, putting the paint scraper down and wiping off his hands on a tea towel. </p><p>"If it isn't any trouble," she hurried.</p><p>"No, I need a break." He waited patiently as she took another glance at the spoiled experiment. "What do you need?"</p><p>"Oh. There's a file I need."</p><p>"Which file?"</p><p>"Um, it's..." She held up a torn piece of paper. "It was on the database, so I just wrote it down, if that's alright."</p><p>Ianto smiled. "That will do just nicely, thank you. I'll be back with it in a bit."</p><p>"Oh, wonderful." She grinned. "Thanks, love."</p><p>She took off back to her desk as he started in the other direction, off to the Archives. </p><p>He read Gwen's scrawled note, thinking to himself how <em>nice</em> it would be if all of the others bothered to do this much work for their own files. Alas, proposing the idea would be a mistake. Jack would probably agree and try to force the rule, but Owen would laugh at it and Tosh and Jack would forget it almost instantly. Gwen would try for a bit, out of politeness, but then eventually forget herself. Oh, well. Best to just be grateful for this time. </p><p>As he searched for the file, he tried not to laugh at himself. It had probably been Gwen watching him, back up in the main part of the Hub, waiting for a good opportunity to approach him. And the eyes... he still supposed he'd been overly tired last night. Spending all day in the Archives and then cleaning failed experiments might do that to a person, he suspected. </p><p>He found the right file and flipped through it, just to double check. He remembered that Gwen's current project was about Cardiff's water supply. Something to do with Jack wanting to know if it would be feasible to have a reserve of Retcon waiting to be dosed into the system if need-be. This file held specifications on the older forms of Retcon, so Ianto supposed it was what she was looking for.</p><p>Nodding to himself, he turned on his heel, still reading over the chicken-scratched notes on the bottom of the yellowing pages. Ianto had long since learnt that these were <em>Jack's</em> chicken-scratch notes. He'd always known it to be, really, but he never understood how it could be on such old pages until Jack's first death in front of Ianto. Ever since, he'd always been somewhat elated to find those notes in various old files. Sometimes, he wondered to himself about Jack's life, back when he wrote these.</p><p>He was midway through thinking about Jack perfecting his Retcon recipe when he stopped dead in his tracks. </p><p>The hair on the back of his neck raised all of the way, and shivers shot down his spine. Slowly, but deliberately, he revolved around.</p><p>There, at the end of the dark corridor of the level five Archives, were two eyes, glowing unblinkingly at him. Ianto held the gaze, feeling his breaths quicken and his heart race in his chest. He couldn't tell what expression the eyes gave. As there were no discernible pupils or <em>body</em>, the tone couldn't be delivered through facial expression. But, at the same time, there was something drawing, yet malevolent, about the gaze. </p><p>With that realisation, Ianto broke eye contact, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. </p><p>When he opened them again, the eyes were gone. </p><p>Ianto leant against the wall, breathing heavily out. He waited there a moment, letting his heart rate slow to its usual moderato beat. </p><p>After a good few minutes, he stood up, fixed his tie, and then walked out of the Archives at a consciously normal pace.</p>
<hr/><p>Ianto swept the crumbs from Owen and Gwen's desk into the black rubbish bag, taking extra care not to knock over Owen's piles of files or get any crumbs stuck in Gwen's notes. Then he picked up Gwen's forgotten pack lunch bag, and Owen's box of leftover Chinese takeaway, throwing both into the bag. Making sure all work was saved first, he shut down their monitors. </p><p>Then all of the hairs on his neck and arms stood straight up. He stiffened, eyes widening. The rubbish bag dropped from his hands to the ground. He slowly straightened, vertebra by vertebra, and looked out over the Hub below.</p><p>The Hub's dark mode shone a series of blue and red lights, barely bright enough to do any work. But dark enough to show the bright lights of the eyes all the way in the farthest corner. </p><p>Ianto took a deep breath, and then another. </p><p>"Jack!" he shouted, making sure not to move, not to blink, not to do anything but stare at the eyes staring back.</p><p>He heard Jack tear out of his office, dashing to Ianto's side.</p><p>"What is it?" Jack asked. "Are you alright?"</p><p>"Do you see them?" Ianto murmured, still watching the eyes.</p><p>"See what?" </p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, Ianto saw Jack try to spy the exact location Ianto was staring at. Ianto didn't pay him much heed; he was too busy making sure the eyes didn't disappear.</p><p>"What are you looking at?" Jack asked. "I can't see anything."</p><p>"Those lights," Ianto said, pointing. "They're eyes."</p><p>There was a long pause.</p><p>"Ianto, there's nothing there."</p><p>Ianto forgot himself long enough to look over at Jack. Jack was frowning at him, looking concerned. Ianto returned to the eyes, but, as always, they'd gone the moment he'd looked away.</p><p>"There were eyes," he insisted. "Just over there."</p><p>He looked at Jack.</p><p>"You have to believe me," he said.</p><p>Jack placed a hand on Ianto's arm.</p><p>"I think you need to be done for the day," he said gently.</p><p>"I'm not making this up," Ianto snapped. "I saw them. Two eyes. Big as my fist. Made of some sort of light."</p><p>Jack said nothing, and Ianto closed his eyes.</p><p>"Go home," Jack said, not unkindly. "Get some sleep."</p><p>Ianto nodded.</p><p>Jack picked up the rubbish bag and practically escorted Ianto to the door. Ianto paused to kiss him, partly to falsely convince Jack everything was fine, partly to use the time to check over the Hub again. He stiffened as he saw two eyes gaping at him, in the distance over Jack's shoulder. Jack, confused, pulled out of the kiss. Ianto focused on Jack's face and smiled. It felt fake, and it only served to make Jack scowl.</p><p>"Get some rest," Jack reiterated, then all but shooed Ianto out of the Hub. </p><p>Ianto drove home, completely alert. But he refused to look out of his mirrors, because the prickling of the hairs on his neck and arms told him what lurked in the darkness behind him.</p>
<hr/><p>Ianto read through the file again, trying to make sense of it. The words were blurring together on the page. The few times he could get his eyes to focus, the words didn't make sense, or he couldn't get his brain to comprehend more than the first line of a paragraph.</p><p>"Ianto?"</p><p>He yawned, flipping the page. Maybe this one was... nope. It had graphs. Graphs didn't make sense to him right now.</p><p>"Um, Ianto?"</p><p>Toshiko's louder tone almost had him jump. He looked down at her, smiling as best as he could.</p><p>"Sorry," he said. "Distracted."</p><p>"You look tired," she said, spinning her chair away from her desk. "Are you alright?"</p><p>"Fine," he said. </p><p>"I don't think I believe you," she said, giving a half-smile. "How much sleep did you get last night?"</p><p>"Not much," he admitted.</p><p>Last night, the eyes had grown a form. He hadn't seen exactly what it was, because he'd drawn the shades over his windows and refused to peek again. But it kept him up all night, tossing and turning as he tried to forget what was already burned into his brain.</p><p>"Why don't you sit down?" Tosh suggested. She nodded to the sofa. "Relax for a bit. You've done enough work in the past week—I don't think anyone would blame you for taking a break."</p><p>He threw her a crooked smile. "I have a reputation to maintain."</p><p>"Don't worry," she laughed. "I won't tell anyone."</p><p>She gestured to the sofa again encouragingly. Ianto sighed, knowing he was beaten, and sat down. </p><p>He nearly jumped back up the moment he relaxed. </p><p>Behind Tosh was a large, indiscernible shape, dark and grey, wearing those bulbous unearthly eyes. And it stared at him. He stared back, helpless and terrified. It made a noise, something rattly, horrific, and indistinguishable. Ianto vaguely recalled hearing those sounds all last night, across the howling wind outside.</p><p>"Hey!"</p><p>Ianto snapped his eyes back to Tosh's face. He didn't need to check his periphery to know the creature was gone the moment he focused on her, so he didn't bother. He just looked at Tosh and tried to calm his beating heart. </p><p>"Sorry," Ianto said. "What did you say?"</p><p>"I said, are you okay?" Tosh asked. </p><p>He nodded. "Just fine."</p><p>Tosh eyed him strangely. </p><p>"I think you should take that nap now," she said. </p><p>Then she turned back to her work with a shake of her head. Ianto leant his head back on the sofa, gazing up at the ceiling. It was the closest he could get to "resting." When Gwen and Owen returned from their Rift retrieval, Ianto silently got up and went back to work.</p>
<hr/><p>Ianto sat on the floor of the Archives, going over file after file. He had at least ten of them (he'd lost count how many he'd already gone through and still had yet to go) spread around him on the floor, two in his lap and one in his hands. </p><p>Nothing made sense. He'd gone over aliens that could camouflage everything but their eyes, and then when that had failed, gone to alleged myths and stories of Earth's own making. The closest he could get to was elves or the Mara or some other faerie-adjacent, but that didn't... it didn't quite fit. Nothing fit. He was getting desperate, at this point.</p><p>"Come <em>on</em>," he mumbled to himself. "Come on, come on, come on..."</p><p>He flipped through another file. Another dud. And so was the next. And the next.</p><p>With a frustrated sigh, he flung the file in his hands across the room. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He released it slowly and carefully, then opened his eyes. He started cleaning up the files around him, shutting them and stacking them up. </p><p>He moved across the room to clean up the thrown file. The moment he crouched down to pick it up, every single hair on his body stood up. He froze.</p><p>Something that felt like a hand crawled up his spine, sending violent shivers through Ianto's body. Not that he could move—he was so tense that not even trembling registered on his frame. It all happened inside, where he was also yelling in fear. </p><p><em>"Ianto,"</em> the thing whispered, its rattling breath forcing Ianto's goosebumps to rise even more. </p><p>Its hand clenched lightly around the back of Ianto's neck.</p><p>Ianto closed his eyes, holding in a whimper, a prayer, a scream, any noise or utterance he felt like letting loose at that moment. He reached for the file, forcing his locked muscles to obey him. Once his fingers had curled around what remained intact of the file, he whipped around and whipped the file at whatever it was.</p><p>But it had gone. </p><p>Ianto didn't even hesitate. He dropped the file again, sprinting out of the Archives.</p>
<hr/><p>Ianto sat with his back to the wall as he sorted the files Gwen wanted to return. She'd accidentally put the contents of one file into the folder for a different file. Ianto had to track down the right file and switch the material before he did anything else.</p><p>"Why are you still here?" </p><p>Ianto glanced up at Jack, who was frowning down at him, his arms folded, unimpressed.</p><p>"Haven't you done enough work?" he asked. "And why are you sitting on the steps of the autopsy room?"</p><p>"Brightest place," Ianto murmured.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Ianto shook his head. "Just... felt like it."</p><p>Jack's frown creased further on his brow. "I'm sure."</p><p>"I can be done for the night," Ianto said, albeit reluctantly. "If that's what you want."</p><p>"I know none of you understand this concept," Jack said, "but there is such a thing as overworking yourself."</p><p>"You're one to talk." Ianto stood, taking a quick glance behind Jack. He didn't see anything in the darker parts of the Hub. </p><p>"Ianto," Jack said slowly.</p><p>Ianto looked back to him.</p><p>"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" Jack asked. </p><p>Ianto plastered a smile on his face. "Of course."</p><p>Jack didn't look convinced, but he nodded. "Good..."</p><p>Then he gestured to the Hub. </p><p>"It's getting late," he said. "Might as well stay for the night."</p><p>Normally, Ianto would smirk and ask sarcastically if it was really such a concession for Jack to make, but for now he just took the offer in silence. He didn't want to drive home. He didn't want to be alone. Because he <em>wouldn't</em> be alone when he was alone. </p><p>Jack grinned at him, the grin he used when he was trying to fix everything through smile alone. As if he smiled enough, everything would right itself. Ianto hated that smile. He hated what it meant in this circumstance.</p><p>Ianto folded up Gwen's files and set them on the stairs. He'd get them tomorrow and finish them then. Jack offered a hand to Ianto and Ianto took it. Jack smiled, for real this time, and kissed him. It sent shivers down Ianto's spine.</p><p>Or maybe it wasn't the kiss, Ianto realised with horror as his scalp prickled. </p><p>He yanked out of the kiss, looking around. The amorphous creature stared unblinkingly at him. </p><p>"Ianto? What is it?"</p><p>Ianto turned around, shaking his head. "Thought I forgot to turn something off."</p><p>"You never forget to turn anything off," Jack said.</p><p>"Mmm," Ianto said, not really listening to Jack while he stared at his bare forearms. He'd pushed his shirtsleeves up when he started looking through Gwen's files. Now, he could clearly see his arm hairs sticking up, goosebumps clearly coating his skin. And the shaking feeling in his chest hadn't left.</p><p>The creature was still there. He wasn't looking, but it was still there.</p><p>"Let's go to bed," Ianto said, trying not to sound rushed. "I've had a long day."</p><p>"You have," Jack agreed. </p><p>He squeezed Ianto's hand, then gently pulled him away into the office. Ianto trailed after, knowing exactly what lurked behind him. </p><p><em>"Ianto,"</em> it breathed.<em> "Ianto Jones."</em></p><p>Ianto deliberately closed the door behind them, though he knew it would do nothing. Then he climbed down the ladder to Jack's bunker, Jack following unknowingly. </p><p>Jack slipped under the blanket of slumber almost instantly. Ianto, on the other hand, lay awake, listening to the creature call its rattling whispers to him all night long.</p>
<hr/><p>Ianto's hands trembled as he set out the mugs. He was over-caffeinated, even by his own admission. But that wouldn't stop him from making himself more coffee. He'd gone well over fifty hours without sleep by now, and there was this shaky feeling in the pits of his stomach that just wouldn't leave him alone. Plus, everyone else expected their morning coffees. He couldn't just not make coffees because he was <em>terrified</em>. No. He had to go on with his day like nothing was happening. That was his job. That was what he was supposed to do.</p><p>"Oi, Tea Boy."</p><p>"What," Ianto said.</p><p>"Well, look who woke up on the wrong side of Jack this morning."</p><p>Ianto wanted to laugh at the inanity of the barb, but he felt like if he opened his mouth to do so, he would end up laughing hysterically. And that would alert everyone that Ianto was less-than-okay. Not something he needed at the moment. So, he kept his mouth shut and started filling the mugs.</p><p>"Coffee ready yet?" Owen asked. </p><p>Ianto switched out Gwen's mug to Owen's, because he'd rather just get Owen's out of the way. "Almost." </p><p>"Hurry it up, then."</p><p>He didn't reply; he merely finished pouring the coffee and popped a sugar in it. </p><p>"Here," he said, turning around to hand off the coffee.</p><p>His eyes went wide and the mug dropped from his hands. He was only vaguely aware of it shattering on the ground and spilling burning hot coffee onto his trousers. He didn't even register the shouts of dismay Owen hurled at him. All he did was stare beyond Owen in shock and horror.</p><p>It had grown its body. It no longer lived as a dark, unshaped eldritch being; it now had form. </p><p>Its body was ashen grey, tall and gnarled like the sinister old roots. Torn robes adorned the figure, barely shades darker than the creature's skin, giving the impression that it was still flowing and indefinite. It had two hands, each hooked like the end branches of a dying tree. </p><p>But, perhaps the most alarming thing of all was the face. The two bulging eyes of light were the only thing on it. It had no mouth or nose or ears or anything human-shaped at all, save for those two eyes that never ceased their observing. </p><p>"Hey!"</p><p>Ianto's eyes tore back to Owen's frowning face, but the creature never left his sights. It hung behind Owen, watching Ianto's every move with its preternatural eyes.</p><p>"What the hell is up with you?" Owen demanded of Ianto. </p><p>Ianto couldn't speak. He just shook his head. Owen's face creased further, softening from rage to apprehension.</p><p>"Why don't you come with me," Owen said. "I think it's time for me to check you over."</p><p>Ianto shook his head again.</p><p>"Ianto, you're pale and sweating your face off," Owen said. "I need to have a look at you, at least to make sure you aren't contagious."</p><p>The backhand comment sounded more like Owen, so Ianto reluctantly nodded. Owen nodded back once, then started to lead Ianto away from the coffee station and up towards the autopsy bay. Ianto planned to follow, but the moment he took a step forward, he stopped dead in his tracks.</p><p>The thing had moved with him. Ianto immediately whipped back where it used to be. It returned to its original position, staring at him. </p><p>Dread filling his chest, he turned to another spot. The creature moved with him, appearing in front of the water tower. He spun again, and the creature stood in front of the armoury. Again, and it lurked by the catwalk. Tosh's computers, the invisible lift, the wall...</p><p><em>"Ianto,"</em> it whispered as he stared at its face, protruding from the wall. </p><p>"Ianto!" someone else shouted. Maybe Owen.</p><p><em>"Ianto,"</em> the thing called.</p><p>"Ianto!" Jack this time. "Ianto!"</p><p>
  <em>"Ianto."</em>
</p><p>"No," Ianto sobbed, "no..."</p><p>But the creature stared at him, called out to him, and the others still screamed for him. </p><p>Ianto closed his eyes. He needed out. </p><p>Without a moment's hesitation, he tore out of the Hub. The cog door took too long to open, so Ianto slammed the metal cage shut, keeping him away from the grabbing hands, human and otherworldly alike. When the door finally opened, he dashed out. He didn't bother waiting for the lift again; he took the stairs, sprinting up two steps at a time. He refused to look anywhere but the stairs flying beneath him. He moved too fast to register the eyes following him up each step. </p><p>He reached the tourist office, taking a moment to pause. Maybe he'd outrun it, he figured. But the chills riding across his skin said otherwise.</p><p>"No," he moaned again. </p><p>He barged out of the tourist centre, racing out to the quay.</p><p>It was misty outside. Ianto had never seen fog like this before. It enveloped everything around him—all he could see was the few planks of wood in front of and behind him on the boardwalk. Ianto stopped in his tracks, unable to run anymore. There wasn't anything to run to, nowhere he could be rid of the thing. He knew it. </p><p>Twisted, knotty hands travelled up Ianto's back, closing around Ianto's neck tightly.</p><p>
  <em>"Ianto Jones."</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>Jack rewound the tapes again. He would study the upper right corner this time, he decided. Maybe that part held the key to understanding Ianto's disappearance.</p><p>He hit play, leaning forward in his chair as he watched the screen intently. The tapes played the same thing over again. Ianto entered the tourist centre. Ianto stopped in the tourist centre. Ianto left the tourist centre. Ianto never exited the other side of the tourist centre. </p><p>Nothing showed up in the upper right corner to explain any of it. </p><p>With a frustrated growl, he rewound the tapes again. He'd study segment under the upper right corner, this time. </p><p>Nobody knew what had happened to Ianto. All Jack knew was he'd gotten quiet, reserved, and jittery near the end. And he'd constantly been looking over his shoulder, or anyone else's shoulder, for something nobody could explain. Then, one morning, he'd freaked out and run out on them, and no one had seen him since. And Jack had been looking for him every last second he could.</p><p>"Jack."</p><p>"I'm busy," he snapped. </p><p>Owen sighed behind him. </p><p>"Go away," Jack said, refusing to take his eyes off the screen.</p><p>Owen reached over Jack, pausing the recording just as Ianto's hand reached the doorknob.</p><p>"Hey!" Jack whirled around to glower at Owen. "I was watching that!"</p><p>"You have to stop," Owen said. He sounded gentle. Jack grew wary of the tone in an instant. "It's been two weeks."</p><p>"So?"</p><p>"He's not coming back," Owen said. "You're not going to find him."</p><p>"There's no body. He could still be out there."</p><p>
  <em>"Jack."</em>
</p><p>Jack looked up at Owen. His face was uncharacteristically empathetic.</p><p>"He's not coming back," Owen repeated. </p><p>He reached over Jack again, this time shutting off Jack's monitor. He placed a hand on Jack's shoulder for a moment, giving him a sorrowful nod. Then he withdrew and left, closing the door considerately behind him as he went.</p><p>Jack looked back to his computer, taking in the void screen. It mocked him, reminding him just how empty he felt inside, telling him just how bleak the future looked. There was nothing. </p><p>A notification on his vortex manipulator beeped, alerting him that one agent Toshiko Sato had just closed the file of one agent Ianto Jones, once and for all.</p><p>Jack leant forward on his desk, burying his face in his hands as he finally let himself grieve. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hopefully it was alright? I've never tried dark and mysterious before.<br/>Also screw anyone who fucked over the word "orbs" because you know what, there isn't really another word apt enough to describe otherwordly, unbodied eyes staring through the darkness.<br/>Unedited as all hell.<br/>Thank you for reading, and have a good evening!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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